Bofors 40 mm 3P ammunition is a Swedish pre-fragmented, programmable, proximity-fuzed round for 40 mm guns. BAE describes it as all-target ammunition with six function modes programmed immediately before firing, while Swedish government reporting places 3P ammunition in a TRIDON Mk2 air-defense package procured for donation to Ukraine.
Sweden and Denmark announced TRIDON Mk2 systems for Ukraine that include large amounts of advanced pre-fragmented, programmable, proximity-fused 3P ammunition; public sourcing supports procurement and donation context, with delivery scheduled to start within 12 months of February 2026 rather than observed firing.
Role detailsBAE markets Bofors 3P as a programmable 40 mm and 57 mm ammunition family; this entry covers the 40 mm round.
| Variant | Configuration | Designation notes |
|---|---|---|
| 57 mm Bofors 3P | Larger 57 mm family member | BAE's Bofors 3P datasheet presents 40 mm and 57 mm 3P rounds under the same six-mode programmable all-target ammunition family. Sources: Bofors 3P |
BAE identifies Swedish Army CV90s with Bofors 40 mm turrets as combat vehicles that can fire 40 mm 3P ammunition, and says later Swedish 40 mm 3P orders are primarily for Stridsfordon 90 vehicles.
| Firing weapon | Weapon type | Firing evidence |
|---|---|---|
 | Tracked infantry fighting vehicle | BAE says 40 mm 3P can be fired from Swedish Army CV90s equipped with a Bofors 40 mm turret; its later Swedish order page also says 40 mm 3P ammunition is primarily for Stridsfordon 90 vehicles. Sources: BAE Systems receives $32 million in orders for its advanced 3P ammunition from Sweden and Finland, BAE Systems secures programmable ammunition orders from Sweden and Finland |
Official material places the 40 mm 3P round inside several 40 mm gun contexts rather than as a stand-alone weapon.
| Firing context | Catalog link | Documented connection |
|---|---|---|
| Stridsfordon 90 | | BAE says 40 mm 3P can be fired from Swedish Army CV90s equipped with a Bofors 40 mm turret, and later order reporting says Sweden will primarily use 40 mm 3P in Stridsfordon 90 vehicles. |
| Bofors 40 Mk4 | Unlinked naval gun | BAE says 40 mm 3P can be fired from the Bofors 40 Mk4 gun system; the 40 Mk4 product page and datasheet also describe programmable 40 mm 3P all-target ammunition. |
| TRIDON Mk2 | Unlinked mobile air-defense system | The Swedish government says TRIDON Mk2 systems procured for donation to Ukraine include large amounts of advanced 3P ammunition. |
| 40 mm anti-aircraft guns | Unlinked gun units | BAE says existing and future Swedish air-defense units equipped with 40 mm anti-aircraft guns can employ the ammunition against a wide range of aerial threats. |
BAE says the 40 mm 3P round can be programmed immediately before firing and switched among six function modes for different target sets.
| Mode | Target set | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Gated proximity | Aerial targets | Airburst at the selected distance window. |
| Gated proximity with impact priority | Aerial targets with a fallback to impact | Airburst first, with impact as a backup if the gate is not met. |
| Time | Small fast manoeuvring surface targets and concealed onshore targets | Programmable time burst. |
| Impact | Surface targets | Detonates on contact. |
| Armor piercing | Armoured surface targets | Contact and penetration-oriented mode. |
| Proximity | Default mode | Proximity function without a gate. |
BAE's public Bofors 3P datasheet described the 40 mm and 57 mm rounds as six-mode programmable ammunition with 40 mm technical data including 2.5 kg complete-round weight and 1,012 m/s muzzle velocity.
Sources: Bofors 3P
BAE announced approximately $171 million in Swedish and Finnish contracts for 40 mm and 57 mm Bofors 3P ammunition, with Sweden receiving 40 mm ammunition for Stridsfordon 90, naval gun, and 40 mm anti-aircraft gun contexts.
Sources: BAE Systems secures programmable ammunition orders from Sweden and Finland
The Swedish government said TRIDON Mk2 systems procured for donation to Ukraine include large amounts of 3P ammunition, with deliveries scheduled to start within 12 months.
Sources: Sweden and Denmark bolster Ukrainian air defence with modern anti-aircraft systems
